Netanyahu: Israel acts to protect Temple Mount status quo against Muslim extremists
'Israel is committed to maintaining freedom of worship, free access to all religions and the status quo on the Temple Mount'
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel acts to maintain the status quo and calm the tensions at the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem.
The prime minister said that Muslim worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque testified that the extremists who barricaded themselves in the mosque on Tuesday night "imprisoned them there and prevented other Muslims from coming to the mosque to pray."
"They barricaded themselves in the mosque with weapons, stones and fireworks. After the authorities' attempts to negotiate failed and the extremists refused to allow Muslim worshipers to enter the mosque, and even threatened to block the noon prayers today, the security forces had to act to restore order," said Netanyahu.
"Israel is committed to maintaining freedom of worship, free access to all religions and the status quo on the Temple Mount, and will not allow violent extremists to change this," he underlined.
These statements come after several Arab states, including Jordan and Turkey, condemned Israel over the overnight clashes at the Temple Mount, which led to arrests of over 350 rioters. Jordan called for an urgent meeting of the Arab League to discuss the "attacks" on Al-Aqsa mosque.